Aircraft Nacelle Locator With Replaceable Polymer Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing alignment assemblies in aircraft propulsion systems are difficult to replace and repair when they break, as they are intricately integrated with the nacelle structure and cowl, requiring time-consuming processes and potentially involving removal of fan cowls from the aircraft.
Innovation Solution
A modular alignment assembly design featuring a receptacle and a locator with a base and guide, where the guide is made from a lower-strength material like polymer, allowing it to break or bend under load without damaging the nacelle structure, facilitating easy replacement and maintenance by allowing the guide to be removed and replaced without dismounting the base from the fan cowl.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the alignment assembly is intricately integrated with the nacelle structure and cowl, then the alignment precision is improved, but the ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment assembly is divided into separate components: a locator component with a guide portion and a receptacle component. The guide portion can be independently replaced from the base portion, allowing repair without removing the entire alignment assembly or dismounting fan cowls. This segmentation maintains alignment precision while significantly improving ease of repair.
2Ease of repair
If the guide is made from lower-strength material like polymer, then the ease of repair is improved, but the strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the alignment assembly are made from different materials with appropriate properties. The guide portion is made from lower-strength polymer material that can break or bend under load without damaging the nacelle structure, while the base portion can be made from stronger material. This local differentiation allows the guide to serve as a sacrificial protective element that is easy to replace.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide portion is designed as a consumable or easily replaceable component made from cost-effective polymer material. When it breaks or bends, it can be replaced without replacing the entire alignment assembly or causing damage to expensive nacelle structures. This approach trades the strength of expensive materials for the ease and low cost of replacing simpler polymer components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the guide is designed to break or bend under load, then the protection of nacelle structure is improved, but the reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The guide portion is designed with controlled weakness or bendability to act as a protective element that fails safely under excessive load. When abnormal forces are applied, the guide portion breaks or bends before the load can damage the critical nacelle structure. This beforehand cushioning protects the overall system at the expense of the guide component itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The potential harm of guide portion failure is converted into a benefit: the guide's controlled breaking or bending under load prevents catastrophic damage to the nacelle structure. The failure of the guide portion becomes a protective mechanism rather than a harmful event, sacrificing a simple polymer component to save the expensive structural elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A system is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This system includes a nacelle structure, a nacelle cowl and an alignment assembly. The nacelle cowl is configured to move between a closed position and an open position. The alignment assembly includes a pair of mating components respectively arranged with the nacelle structure and the nacelle cowl. A first of the pair of mating components is configured as or otherwise includes a receptacle. A second of the pair of mating components is configured as or otherwise includes a locator. The locator is configured to mate with the receptacle and thereby locate the nacelle cowl relative to the nacelle structure when the nacelle cowl is in the closed position. The locator includes a base and a guide attached to the base. The guide is formed as a discrete body from the base.